Shadow
by AquaTurquoise
Summary: *Continued from "Shaken"* As Sofia and Cedric delve deeper into the cause of their individual nightmares, they soon discover that this matter is more complicated than they initially imagined. (This will actually be divided into chapters, despite my original plan. :D)
1. Shadow Cedric

Shadow

Summary: *Continued from "Shaken"* As Sofia and Cedric delve deeper into the cause of their individual nightmares, they soon discover that this matter is more complicated than they initially imagined.

Disclaimer: I do not own "Sofia the First!"

A/N: This is going to be a bit darker… Granted, since it's _me_ , there _will_ be positive elements in here and for the most part a happy ending. But as Craig Gerber himself said, sometimes people have to go through things to get the happy ending they want. So bear with me. ;)

" _They say we all have shadows…the doubting darkness that can follow us until we can no longer breathe…" Cedric turned from the mirror in front of him, casting his reflection behind him. "Well, that may be, but what if_ _we_ _…_ _are_ _the shadows? What if the person seen on the outside is truly a mask for the person on the inside?"_

" _An excellent point," a dark voice replied, chuckling sinisterly. "What if, indeed!"_

 _And with that, the darkness swallowed him._

Cedric sat up in his bed, panting and holding a hand to his heart. It was racing. He peered around his dark room, seeing no trace of anything sinister or unusual, yet still feeling really uncomfortable. He glanced above his head and saw Sofia's dream catcher hanging inconspicuously. He sighed, reaching up and caressing the feathers. She'd given it to him to alleviate some of his nightmares. So much for _that_ idea…

His sleeping patterns had gotten worse instead of better these last few weeks. He could barely function in day-to-day activities. He'd broken more vials than he cared to admit. He'd nearly knocked Wormwood over in a hasty sprint to answer the door at one point, which the raven had obviously not appreciated or forgotten for that matter. And his work…

Cedric shuddered as he reflected on his work progress…or lack thereof. While King Roland hadn't requested anything of him lately (which gave him a bit of relief), he was certain this quiet spell couldn't last forever. Therefore, he had to do _something_ to snap himself out of it. He couldn't—wouldn't—go on like this.

"This is ridiculous," he whispered as he finally calmed down enough to breathe normally. Sighing, he threw the covers back and rested his feet in a pair of slippers before standing up. He grabbed his favorite everyday robe and tied it around his pajamas. "If I can't sleep, then I guess I'll just…take a walk." He was going to say 'work,' but with his current track record, he assumed it'd be best not to take any chances.

He slipped out of his workshop door, careful not to wake the sleeping Wormwood, before making his way down the stairs. Reaching the ground floor, he stepped from his tower and into the main corridor.

He gasped when he felt a slight intrusion. Someone had literally just run into him. Glancing down, he blinked. "Sofia?"

Sofia blinked up at him in return. "Mr. Cedric?" she asked, confused. "What are you doing down here?"

"I might ask you the same thing," he answered, folding his arms. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

She frowned. "I…had a bad dream." She saw the look on his face and became concerned. "You did too, didn't you?"

"I'm afraid that dream catcher of yours didn't work on me…" He sighed, pressing onward with his apprentice following him. "And if I can't sleep, I can't work. So I figured a bit of fresh air might do me some good."

"I'll go with you." She smiled when he glanced at her warily. "I won't talk your ear off or anything, Mr. Cedric. I promise." She giggled as he rolled his eyes.

"I'll believe _that_ when I _don't_ hear it." He grasped the handle of the door and pushed it open, leading her outside first.

Sofia inhaled slowly, breathing in the night air, and sighed peacefully. "Why can't our dreams be like this?"

"What? Dark and cold?" He wrapped his robe a little tighter and yawned. "I think those two elements are pretty well covered, Sofia."

"No!" She smiled, shaking her head. "Calm…peaceful. And I just want to know what the cause of all of this is, and why the dream catcher worked for me and not for you."

"That's easy," Cedric replied. "My mother put a spell on it specifically for you…not for me."

"But…" She sighed, uncertain of her next argument. She shook her head. "Whatever is going on, we'll figure it out together, right?"

"Sure."

Sofia frowned, stopping her friend and placing a hand on his arm. " _Right_ , Mr. Cedric?"

The sorcerer stumbled over his thoughts before nodding once. "Right, Sofia…or we can at least try."

The princess smiled and led him over to a tree, sitting underneath it as he lowered to the ground next to her. "What are your dreams about?"

Cedric shook his head. "I don't want to frighten you."

She looked at him wearily. "I doubt anything you've seen in yours could be worse than what I've seen in mine."

"Well…" He glanced down at his gloved hands and recalled his most recent dreams. "It usually starts off with nothing but darkness. Soon, a mirror appears, and I walk toward it. I stare at my reflection, but the reflection doesn't copy me like it's supposed to. Usually, it seems to have a mind of its own… And before I can do or say anything, some evil-sounding voice comes out of the darkness and starts taunting me."

Sofia blinked and frowned. "Taunting you?" This sounded a bit different from her nightmares, in which her amulet was stolen and her friends and family were getting hurt. Maybe they weren't related after all? "How?"

"Uh, well… Th-That's not so important." He really didn't want her prodding him on this issue, because his dreams even scared _him_. Telling the young princess about them could only be a bad idea at best and the very thing that ended their friendship at worst.

"Mr. Cedric."

"Ugh, fine." He inhaled, unable to believe he was about to divulge his dark subconscious to her. Then again, she wouldn't let up until he answered her either way. She was pretty stubborn when she wanted to be. "Several nights ago, my dreams involved _you_ , if you must know."

She blinked in surprise. "Me?"

"Yes." He glanced away and folded his arms. "My first few dreams were about something or someone trying to…" He glared at the night air, as if the evil entity from his dreams happened to be within his vision or something. "…trying to take you away…"

Sofia moved over to her mentor and leaned toward him, hugging him gently. "No one will take me away, Mr. Cedric. I promise." She smiled sweetly toward him as he finally looked back at her.

Cedric sighed, unfolding his arms and wrapping one around her for comfort. "I know… I just… Well, there was more to it than just that, really."

She nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"It was more than your disappearance or leaving… It seemed more like the darkness or the evil entity was trying to…destroy you."

Sofia didn't even flinch when he said that, but she noticed his visible discomfort in admitting that to her. "Is that why you're not sleeping very much?"

"How am I supposed to sleep with the taunting voices and the images of your death, Sofia? How?!" He removed his arm from her side and clasped his hands together, lowering his head. "I never should have told you all of this."

"I'm glad you did," she contradicted, moving in front of him and taking his hands again. "We'll figure this out, Mr. Cedric…"

"I hope so…" He sighed when she squeezed his hands comfortingly. "I won't let this control me… There _has_ to be redemption…right?"

"Redemption…?" She frowned in confusion.

"N-Never mind." He glanced up and saw that the moon had risen high in the night sky. "We need to get back inside, Sofia. You need your rest. I'll return the dream catcher to you so at least one of us can sleep tonight."

Sofia smiled thoughtfully as they stood. "I have a better idea."

Back in the tower, Sofia reached up to Cedric's bed and unhooked the dream catcher. She carried it back into the workshop where Cedric sat waiting for her. She placed the item on the table and climbed onto her stool so she sat across from him. She smiled brightly.

He lifted an eyebrow at the girl. "What?"

"I think we should try putting a stronger spell on this."

Cedric sighed and shook his head. "I'm afraid it won't work, Sofia… I've tried everything I can think of."

She pondered his words and picked up the dream catcher, holding it thoughtfully before looking up at her mentor and smiling gently. "Not… _everything_."

"This is hopeless," Cedric complained a few minutes later, lying in his bed with his covers tucked under his chin. He stared at the ceiling, willing himself to go to sleep, but obviously failing.

"Relax," Sofia encouraged him, giggling. "My mom used to do this to get me to sleep. Now close your eyes."

He rolled his eyes before complying, exhaling deeply. He just wanted to get a good night's sleep without the plaguing nightmares. He just wanted to wake up well rested. Was that so much to ask?

The princess tied the dream catcher above his bed again, just in case, before lowering her hands. She reached out and traced her fingers over Cedric's forehead ever so lightly, making him snicker at the tickling sensation. "Mr. Cedric!"

He chuckled. "It tickles, Sofia! What exactly is this supposed to do?"

"Relax you. Now be still." She grinned as he shook his head disbelievingly and closed his eyes again. She did as her mother used to do and traced his forehead, brows, nose, and cheeks, each gentle movement making him more relaxed. She smiled when his breathing evened out and became more sleep-induced. Realizing he was asleep at last, Sofia giggled softly. "Good night, Mr. Cedric." She turned and left the room, quietly pulling his door shut behind her.

While the rest of his night started out quite pleasantly, it wasn't meant to last. Soon enough, the nightmares came again…

" _You will_ _never_ _be able to outrun the truth."_

 _Cedric looked around, baffled as to the location of the disembodied voice. Yet…why did it sound so familiar? When he turned around, he found yet another mirror, his reflection staring back at him._

 _He nearly fainted when he saw the reflection speaking to him._

" _And the truth is, Cedric, the darkness is a part of you._ _I_ _am a part of you. And no dream catcher or childish hope can ever change that." The reflection smirked at him, filling his mind with terrible images and thoughts. "Are you now willing to admit that you and I are one and the same?"_

" _N-No! I'm nothing like you." He turned, folding his arms._

" _Are you quite certain about that?" His reflection smirked, holding up his own wand and pointing it toward the sorcerer. "Care to test that theory?"_

 _Cedric whirled around in time to see the mirror empty. "What the…?" He winced when he felt a sharp pain in his head, almost as if his mind had been impaled. "W-What is going on?!"_

" _No one can deny the darkness… No one is without his demons."_

Cedric sat up in bed again that night, but he wasn't panting nor was his heart racing again. His eyes glazed over, dull rather than curious. He stood up and ambled over to his mirror. "…No one…can deny the darkness," he whispered absently before blinking once, slowly, before collapsing against the corner of the wall and passing out.

The next morning, Sofia entered the workshop to check on her friend. She blinked as she looked around, not finding him anywhere. "Mr. Cedric?"

"He hasn't been out of his room all morning," Wormwood informed her as the girl glanced toward him. "I'm not sure what's going on with him, but it can't be all that good."

She frowned. "Why do you say that?" Even though she already had a pretty good idea…

"I'm not oblivious, Princess. I've seen his actions these last several weeks. Something is wrong with him, and he's not acting like himself." He sighed. "I'm not exactly sentimental or anything, but I just want Cedric back to his normal, annoying, random self.

The princess giggled lightly and nodded. "You and me both. Don't worry, Wormwood. We'll figure this out. I'm going to check on him real quick." She walked to his room, standing before his door and knocking on it. Hearing nothing, she grew a bit concerned and pushed his door open gently.

She gasped when she saw her mentor sleeping yet leaning into the corner of his room. "Oh, Mr. Cedric…" She walked over and grasped his hand, pulling him out of his dream world. "Mr. Cedric?"

The sorcerer stared uncertainly at her before wincing. Cedric grasped his head. The keening sound from his dreams echoed even louder in his ears now. He felt as if he were being ripped from the very fabric of reality.

"Mr. Cedric," Sofia started gently, hesitating before beginning to approach him again, cautiously. "Mr. Cedric, are you…?" She couldn't bring herself to finish the question anymore. Of _course_ he wasn't all right. While she'd had similar symptoms with the lack of sleep and vivid nightmares or dreams, hers weren't nearly as bad as his. She just wished she knew what to do to help her friend.

Cedric finally focused enough to address his student seriously. "Run," he told her simply, his eyes opening long enough to look toward her meaningfully before closing them again. "Please, Sofia…run."

"But I-!"

Cedric's eyes snapped open, and his hand reached out to slam against the wall, barely missing her in the process. "You just can't take a hint, can you?! You can't have everything go your way, little princess! You truly believe 'love' and 'friendship' can cure any problem? Life is not some sort of fantasy, Sofia! Wake up!"

Sofia blinked, her eyes watering at his harsh words toward her. "Mr. Cedric? Wha… What are you talking about? You're not acting like yourself." She reached out to him.

He smirked. "On the contrary, Princess Sofia…" He watched her face contort into dismay when he used her title. "I'm finally starting to be _exactly_ who I was meant to be…"

"Please, let me help you…?" A feeling of emptiness settled in her stomach, making her cringe.

"You don't seem to get it! You don't _know_ me, Princess… You've no idea what I'm capable of doing. All this time, you've had a curtain drawn over your eyes. You see what you want to see, and…who wouldn't? What a nice picture you've painted of me…" He stepped up toward her, making her ease back uncertainly. "…But it's not _real_! It never was and never can be."

"M-Mr. Cedric…" Tears brimmed in her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. He couldn't see her cry…ever. "I don't like this side of you."

Cedric smirked and looked to the left, seeing the mirror next to him. "I'm not the 'Mr. Cedric' you know, Princess…" His own reflection, an actual reflection this time, smirked back at him. "Just call me…Shadow Cedric."

Sofia gasped and turned, running from the room. Her sense of fear had kicked into overdrive. This was _not_ her Mr. Cedric. She knew that now. Reaching the workshop, she looked desperately toward Wormwood. She ran over and grabbed the raven into a sort of hug before leaving the tower with him as quickly as her feet would carry her.

Shadow Cedric, as he wished to be called, chuckled from his place next to the mirror. "You can run, little princess…but you can't hide."

Sofia collapsed against her door in her room, having made sure it was locked first, and slid down to the floor. She released Wormwood, who fluttered from her arms and onto the floor. She glanced at him as he stared back at her in confusion.

"What was that all about?" he asked, annoyed.

"I…" She sighed, leaning her head against the door. "Mr. Cedric wasn't acting like himself, Wormwood… He asked me to call him 'Shadow Cedric.'"

"…How ominous." He huffed and tapped his talon on the floor. "So what do we do now?"

"I don't know."

" _You_ don't know?" He gestured emphatically with his wings. "You're _Sofia_ , princess of Enchancia, do-gooder extraordinaire! You always know what to do!"

"Well, now I don't, okay?!" She sighed, putting her head into her hands and releasing a few pent-up tears. "I don't know what to do, Wormwood… Mr. Cedric isn't even himself anymore, and I can't reach him. I get this horrible feeling whenever I'm around him, and I feel like he wants to…"

"To what?" The raven watched her, a little concerned for once.

"I feel like he wants to hurt me…" She frowned, wiping her tears away. "But that's not right, is it? Mr. Cedric is my best friend, my teacher…my mentor. We're always together, working on things and spending time together… He couldn't actually try to hurt me or do something to make me upset, right?"

Wormwood became rather silent at that point, a guilty look on his visage.

The princess noticed this silence and turned to her temporary companion. She frowned. "Wormwood?"

"Hmm?"

"What do you know that I don't?"

Oh, no. Oh, boy, this wasn't going the way he'd hoped it would. Sure, he knew the princess could use a heavy dose of reality when it came to Cedric and his intentions, but this wasn't exactly the way he'd planned to go about it. Actually, he hadn't planned on getting involved _at all_. It was one giant mess now. "Nothing," he lied.

Sofia reached down, taking Wormwood into her hands as gently as she could, and stared at him. It was as if she planned to figuratively rip away the layers he hid behind. "Are you sure?"

Well… He _could_ be truthful with her, but he'd seen her emotional state just now. If she reacted like this when she thought Cedric was just being mean, how would she react if she knew of Cedric's plans to _steal_ her amulet and conquer her kingdom by force? …Yeah, he decided to stick with his original plan. "Positive."

The princess sighed. "In that case…I…guess we're in this together, right?"

The raven gave the princess a dubious look. "I beg your pardon?"

"We—"

"There is no 'we,' Princess Sofia." He waved a wing back and forth between them. "There's _you_ and there's _me_. _We_ do not work together. I'm not Cedric." He paused when he realized what he'd just said, and realized how harsh it might have sounded to the young girl. "…No offense."

Sofia folded her arms. "Fine. I'll get Clover to help me then. What was I expecting, asking the mean, snarky raven for help?" She stood up and turned away from him, mentally counting down in her mind. "Five, four, three, two…"

"Okay, _fine_ ," Wormwood drawled with a scoff as he flew up to her shoulder again. "But this is to help Cedric. Besides, he needs to feed me."

The princess smirked at his reasoning before rolling her eyes and nodding. "Of course." She then smiled genuinely. "Thanks, Wormwood."

"Don't mention it." He glared at her pointedly. " _Ever_."

To be continued…

A/N: I had originally planned to have this be one large story, but with circumstances that have come up recently in both my personal life and work (I promise it's not serious-just busy), I've decided to at least post this up so you all could have something from me. :) I hope you enjoy it so far. I know it's a lot darker than usual, so hang in there. But you know me. Things usually get better…eventually. Oh, and here's a mini preview for the next chapter!

PREVIEW:

"You mustn't be discouraged, Sofia," Cedric told his apprentice softly and weakly as he leaned against the wall. "Just because there's a darkness in me, that doesn't mean it will be the same for everyone…" He sighed, resting a hand over his heart. "…Maybe I can't be saved, but… I do thank you for trying, and for not giving up on me."


	2. La Sombra Syndrome

Shadow

Summary: *Continued from "Shaken"* As Sofia and Cedric delve deeper into the cause of their individual nightmares, they soon discover that this matter is more complicated than they initially imagined.

Disclaimer: I do not own "Sofia the First!"

A/N: Thanks for the reviews and feedback on the first chapter. :) And for those who got to see the preview for "Cedric Be Good," I'm jealous. Lol. I'm so ready for the episode though. Should be wonderful. In this part, you'll get to see the return of one of my favorite visitors (some of you probably already know or have an idea of who it is), and of course Cedric's dilemma along with Sofia and Wormy working together. Here we go!

"Where are we going?" Wormwood asked his current travel companion as he still rested on her shoulder. They were piled into a flying coach and already soaring through the air. He was kind of annoyed that she'd been so secretive the last hour or so, not telling him much of anything, including any plans she'd devised to help his master.

"Rudistan," she responded as she held onto a bag she'd brought with her.

"Ugh…" He rolled his eyes. "Figures you'd bring Greylock into this."

"Wormwood, if anyone can help us with Mr. Cedric, it's Mr. Greylock." She smiled thoughtfully. "They may not always agree on everything, but they're good friends—even if they don't act like it sometimes."

"Hmm." The raven sighed before moving from the girl's shoulder onto the seat beside her. "And why is it that you chose to leave me in the dark on your decision exactly?"

"Because you would have said no," she responded honestly as she glanced down at him. Seeing his dry look, she shrugged. "I know you better than you think I do, Wormwood."

"I see that. It's a little frightening too, to be honest." He rolled his eyes as she laughed softly.

The rest of the ride was relatively quiet, the only sounds heard coming from the air moving past the coach and the occasional bird calling beside them.

Meanwhile, Cedric had barricaded himself in his tower. He hadn't been able to find Sofia despite his search, so he settled on what became known as "Plan B: Barricade." If he couldn't locate the princess for his plans, then he'd do some research on the next best option: spells and curses.

He was more annoyed with the fact that even Wormwood seemed to have abandoned him. Seriously, even his feathered friend didn't want to be near him in his current state? Fine. He could do without the raven for a while.

"Shadows," he muttered as he skimmed his spell book. "Shadows, spells, curses, darkness, fatigue…ugh!" He slammed his book and threw it against the wall, watching it fall open in a haphazard way. He now wrestled with the back-and-forth of his actual self and the entity known as 'Shadow Cedric.' To be honest, he could barely tell the difference. 'Shadow Cedric' _was_ him…in a way.

He turned toward a mirror that had been placed on the wall and glared into it. The reflection, not his own at this point, folded his arms and smirked at him. "What are you acting so smug about?" Cedric asked with a scoff.

Shadow Cedric rolled his eyes and chuckled. "You _really_ think you have any say over what you do anymore? No, pardon me—what _I_ do. We've done things _your_ way for the last few years, and look how that's panned out: no amulet, no kingdom, and a pesky princess who follows you around like a puppy. And what's worse is you _let_ her! You play into her wishes to study magic and sorcery under you, and you've softened, Cedric. You're not the same."

Cedric glared at his reflection and folded his arms. "I…I don't see why that's such a…bad thing."

"Oh, wake up, would you! See, _this_ is the problem." Shadow Cedric waved his hands around in the air emphatically. "You give up too easily! What happened to the sorcerer who had plans and a goal? The one who'd stop at nothing to get what he wanted?"

"I—"

"You _gave up_! You stopped listening to yourself and started listening to everyone around you. And the worst of those is Princess Sofia." He lifted his own wand.

Cedric's eyes widened worriedly. "Wh-What are you doing with…that?"

"If _you_ won't fix the problem…" He generated an image of Sofia before Cedric, who watched speechlessly as the generated Sofia appeared to clutch her heart and fall over. "…Then _I_ will."

Cedric whipped his head toward the mirror to respond, but his eyes became vacant momentarily before closing and opening again. Once again, Shadow Cedric had taken over.

"Ah, Princess Sofia!" Greylock greeted spiritedly as the young girl rushed into his own workshop in Rudistan. He blinked in surprise when she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Uh, Princess, are you all right?" He knelt down to the girl, realizing she was crying again. "Oh, no, no, dear girl. This won't do." He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and lifted her head, gently dabbing at her tears. "What's the matter?" He then frowned as something hit him. "Are you here by yourself?"

She sniffled and took the handkerchief from him as she tried to compose herself. "W-Well, Wormwood came with me." She pointed up at the raven, who'd settled on a coat rack near the door.

Greylock sighed in humor before shaking his head. "What I mean is, did anyone else—an adult, perhaps—come with you? Where's Cedric?"

"Oh, here we go," Wormwood muttered with a huff.

"Mr. Cedric…is the reason I'm here." She looked up at the older man with a meaningful stare. "Something's wrong with him, Mr. Greylock. He's talking strangely, and he's just…not himself. I keep feeling like he's trying to hurt me and that he's going to hurt himself, and I just…don't know what to do." She sniffled and hugged him again.

The brown-haired man sighed and returned her hug, gently rocking her to ease her a bit. "Do your parents know you're here?"

She shook her head as she composed herself a bit better. "…No…" Sofia looked up at Greylock. "They're both very busy right now, which is probably for the best. If my dad saw Mr. Cedric like he is now, I don't think he'd let him stay…" She reached up again and wiped her tear-stained face. "C-Can you help me figure out what's wrong with him?"

"Well, of course I can." He stood up and grabbed his wand from his desk. "King Magnus is away at a meeting for a few days anyway, so luckily this won't be a problem."

"The longer we stay here, the worse Cedric is probably getting," Wormwood reminded the girl as he swooped down from the coat rack and onto her shoulder again.

"I know," she whispered gently as Greylock slid his robe on.

"Well, Princess Sofia," Greylock began as he held his wand down to his side, "lead the way."

Along the way to Enchancia, Sofia gave more details about the situation at hand. She covered the nightmares both she and Cedric had, his strange behavior and switching back and forth between normal and otherwise, the character of Shadow Cedric, and whatever else came to her mind. Greylock listened fervently, taking in the girl's words. He was concerned not only for Cedric but also for his young friend. Whatever was going on with the other sorcerer was obviously having or going to have some sort of impact on the princess.

"So let me get this straight." The sorcerer of Rudistan tapped his wand against his shoulder a few times as he took in her words. "Cedric is acting like an entirely different person—this Shadow Cedric you mentioned—and has, what, threatened you?"

"I don't know if 'threatened' is the right word," Sofia admitted as she looked down at her hands. "More like… He yelled at me to 'wake up' and seemed upset or annoyed that I try to look on the positive side of things." Recalling this bit of information only made the girl more upset.

Greylock sighed and wrapped one arm around her. "Sofia, you mustn't be disheartened by this. None of this is your fault, and we're going to figure out what is wrong with Cedric. And he _will_ apologize to you, because you didn't deserve to be spoken to that way."

She sighed before looking up at him. "But I don't believe this is actually his fault, Mr. Greylock… At least, I hope it's not."

"We'll figure this out. I promise."

It had taken every ounce of determination and concentration she had within her for Sofia to ease up to Cedric's door and knock hesitantly. She feared going back inside, but she knew her friend needed her help. _Their_ help.

Greylock stood beside the girl while the raven had found a nice perch on his shoulder. "Why knock?" he asked curiously.

"The last thing I want is him getting more upset with me," Sofia admitted softly. "Who's to say that he'll even open the door?"

Cedric turned from his recently-retrieved spell book and glared at the door when he heard the familiar knock. "Mm." A smirk formed on his features. Actually, this was rather perfect, wasn't it? Instead of going to find the little princess, she'd come to _him_. Well, he knew it was only a matter of time after all. "Come in." His smirk changed to a scowl when he saw who was with her. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Greylock rolled his eyes as Sofia walked in behind him. "That's a fine way of greeting an old friend."

"I'm not your friend. I'm not _anyone's_ friend."

Sofia bit her lip. She wasn't going to cry anymore. She'd done more than enough of that today. And besides, she knew it wasn't _her_ Mr. Cedric talking…right?

"That's rather rude. And here I travelled all the way from Rudistan to help you." Greylock made a face as he looked around the workshop. "What _have_ you done in here, Cedric?"

"None of your business, Greylock. Why don't you travel on back to _your_ kingdom and leave me alone?" He buried his face in his book again. "Besides, Princess Sofia and I have matters to discuss that don't concern you."

Greylock glanced down at the worried girl and shook his head. "I'm afraid whatever you have to say to her, you'll have to say to me as well. From what I hear, you've been rather rude to the princess."

Cedric scoffed and slammed his book. "If you think telling her the truth and correcting a few scenarios is being 'rude,' then yes, I suppose I have been. However, that's always the problem, isn't it? People can't _handle_ the truth." He looked down behind Greylock and noticed Sofia standing there, watching him carefully and uncertainly. "Isn't that right, Princess?"

Sofia stayed quiet and remained in her current location. She glanced up at Wormwood, who shook his head.

"Ah, Wormy. I wondered where you'd gone." Cedric lifted his wand. "I see you have chosen someone else to pester for a while."

"Princess Sofia," the raven began as he looked toward her, "if you ever wanted to use your learned spells to blast him for that comment _and_ for his behavior toward you, I wouldn't mind, you know."

She sighed and shook her head. It just wasn't right…

"Sofia," Greylock said softly as he placed one hand on her shoulder. "Would you mind leaving us for a few minutes? Cedric and I need to have a chat."

She nodded and exited the room, her level of comfort rising a bit as she distanced herself from her mentor. She descended the stairs about halfway and sat down, putting her head to her hands out of frustration.

Cedric made a sound of annoyance as Greylock shut and locked his door. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I might ask you the same thing." The brown-haired sorcerer marched to the table where Cedric stood and slammed his hands against it, making the Enchancian Royal Sorcerer jump back in surprise. "What did you say to her, Cedric? You have frightened the one person who cares enough about you to defend you to the world, and you're going to treat her like _this_?"

Cedric held a hand to his head as he eased out of one phase and back to his normal self, Shadow Cedric seeming to take a backseat for now. He blinked toward his friend. "I just…"

"Cedric, you're being _stupid._ " He scoffed when his friend gasped at his accusation. "I'm sorry to tell you that, but you're out of control. Do you have any idea what the king would do to you if he found out how you've treated his daughter?"

"I know! Don't think I don't!" He growled in frustration and gripped his wand tighter. "It's like… Ugh, I don't know how to explain this."

"Well, you'd better start trying before you do or say something else you'll regret." Greylock folded his arms.

"Well, if you're here, then you obviously came for a reason. And Princess Sofia must have told you something about what's going on."

"Mm, who's Shadow Cedric?"

Cedric blinked in surprise before shaking his head. "Who?"

"Sofia told me you told her to call you 'Shadow Cedric' earlier. She said you weren't acting like yourself at all." He glared at his friend. "Don't tell me you don't remember this."

"Shadow…?" He looked cautiously at the mirror beside him and blanched when he saw his reflection smirk at him, shake his head, and put a finger to his lips, as if telling him to keep quiet. "I…" He closed his eyes for a few seconds before sighing in resignation. He gathered the mirror from the wall and turned it around, making it face away from him. "Greylock, there's something I should tell you…"

Wormwood watched from his perch as Cedric recollected the events with his nightmares and the grim figure in his dreams a few weeks ago. Then his master moved onto more recent changes in the nightmares, where the figure turned out to be the dark side of himself, or so he believed. Shadow Cedric was obviously a manifestation of his darker desires and wishes to obtain something he couldn't quite seem to get.

"And what's that?" Greylock prodded as he folded his arms.

Cedric stayed still for a few moments before admitting quietly, "Sofia's amulet…"

Wormwood's beak dropped. Had he _seriously_ just admitted his secret to Greylock? Oh, boy, this could only get more complicated. He cawed at his master, who shot him a look to stay out of it. "Great…"

"Sofia's…" The brown-haired man frowned. "Are you talking about that purple necklace she always wears? What in Merlin's name could you possibly want with-?"

"It's the Amulet of Avalor, okay?!" Cedric threw his hands up. "It's the Amulet of Avalor, what I've been searching for forever, what we heard about at Hexley Hall, and _she_ has it! With it, I could work wonders and prove myself to the king and everyone. I could show them I'm more than a bumbling sorcerer and some Goodwin the Great wannabe! I could _actually_ be Cedric the Sensational, and with good reason—I'd have the _power_ to back it up!"

"And you'd risk your friendship with Sofia for something as ridiculous as that? You'd break her heart for power and glory?" Greylock sighed and held up his wand. "Cedric, I've always known that you had a different sort of mind and even a bit of a temper, but I _never_ thought you'd be capable of something like _this_."

Cedric eased back, seeing the other sorcerer's wand raised. "What are you doing?"

A focused look set itself on Greylock's face. "Protecting Sofia." He aimed his wand at Cedric. " _Dearmo_!"

The dark-haired sorcerer's wand flew across the workshop and rolled under the closet door. He glared at Greylock, his eyes becoming darker and his demeanor changing. "How _dare_ you!"

"I won't let any harm come to Sofia, and I won't let anyone, even you, speak to her in such a derogatory manner as you have done." As he noticed the complete change in Cedric's stance, the sorcerer smirked. "Shadow Cedric, I presume."

"You don't know who you're messing with, Greylock. One way or another, I _will_ get that amulet, and neither you nor the princess will be able to stop me."

"We'll see about that. _Incarcero_." He watched as his wand tossed a stream of magic at Cedric, sealing an invisible bond around him and essentially capturing him. He flicked the wand once, making Cedric bond to a chair, for the second time that year. "I'd say take some time to _reflect_ on your actions…but I have a feeling you've done more than enough of that." He turned and marched toward the door.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Cedric growled as he fought against the bonds.

"What I have to do." Greylock looked back at his friend. "Until you return to normal, you're a danger to everyone, especially yourself." He looked toward the door as a knock fell upon it. ' _I can't let Princess Sofia see Cedric like this_ ,' he thought desperately.

"Mr. Cedric?" she called worriedly, having heard Cedric shouting. "Mr. Greylock?"

Cedric smirked. "And as always, there's the dear princess to the rescue. I dare you to tell her she can't do anything about this. You'll find that she has a way of getting exactly what she wants."

"…Good point." Greylock unlocked the door and opened it, pulling the princess inside. "Now, Princess Sofia, don't get upset…"

"Why would I…?" She paused, seeing Cedric struggling against his invisible bonds and attempting to get up from the chair. "What happened?"

"Cedric isn't himself right now. I think you realize that…" Greylock placed a hand on her shoulder. "You were right."

Sofia's eyes trailed from Cedric to Greylock. "This is the one time in my life I don't _want_ to be right, Mr. Greylock…"

"I know." He looked toward the other sorcerer. "Is this what you want, Cedric? You want to be overtaken by selfishness and darkness? So be it. But look what you'll lose." He gestured around. "You'll lose your workshop. You'll lose Wormwood. You'll lose Sofia."

Cedric stopped moving to pay more attention to Greylock's words.

"You'll lose any bit of respect you've garnered over the last few years, including your father's and King Roland's. You'll end up imprisoned or exiled. So I repeat: _is this what you want_?"

"…No."

Sofia gasped when Greylock released Cedric from his bonds. She watched as her mentor fell onto the floor and moved over to the wall, leaning forward to clutch his head. She rushed to him, kneeling beside him. "Mr. Cedric? Are you okay?"

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, struggling to keep the darkness within. "I've really messed up, and I feel as though I can't fix it this time, nor can you…"

The princess frowned. "Please, Mr. Cedric, don't give up. Whatever's wrong, we'll figure it out and you'll get better."

"You mustn't be discouraged, Sofia," Cedric told his apprentice softly and weakly as he leaned against the wall. "Just because there's a darkness in me, that doesn't mean it will be the same for everyone…" He sighed, resting a hand over his heart. "…Maybe I can't be saved, but… I do thank you for trying, and for not giving up on me."

Sofia looked at him in surprise. "What are you talking about, can't be saved? _Everyone_ can be saved, Mr. Cedric." She took his hands, making him look up at her. "I just don't want you giving up. If you don't believe in yourself, then let me do it for you."

"Sofia…"

"I believe in you, Mr. Cedric." She smiled for the first time in a while, bringing a sense of comfort to him. "And no 'Shadow Cedric' is going to convince me otherwise. You may have a dark side, but we all do. _We_ decide who's going to be in control, not the darkness."

Cedric's eyes caught sight of a faint glowing from the girl's amulet, and he felt a gentle warmth wash over him. "I…"

Greylock stood back, watching in astonishment. Perhaps there was more to the princess than he'd originally believed. She truly was unique.

"Please, Mr. Cedric," Sofia pleaded gently. "Let me help you."

He nodded weakly. "Okay, Sofia…okay." He then collapsed to the floor, knocked out.

Wormwood sighed. "This is getting to be a habit with him."

A few hours later, Cedric woke up in his bed. He yawned, still feeling a bit groggy. He sat up in his bed, wondering what time it was and how he'd even gotten there in the first place. He didn't remember much about the day. The details were fuzzy. All he knew was the headaches were gone…and he also hadn't had that horrid nightmare.

He looked to the side of his bed and saw a note resting on his nightstand. He picked it up and read over it.

 _Dear Mr. Cedric,_

 _In case you're wondering, you passed out. Mr. Greylock got you in bed. Wormwood was worried about you, and so were we. Mr. Greylock said he'd stay to make sure you're all right before heading back to Rudistan._

 _If you wake up before tomorrow, we'll be in your workshop waiting for you. I hope you're feeling better._

 _Love,_

 _Sofia_

Cedric shook his head and put the note aside before standing up perhaps a little too quickly. He fought off a feeling of dizziness before slowly easing forward, his thoughts clearing. He opened the door and made his way into his workshop.

Sofia smiled brightly when she saw her friend walking toward them, slowly but surely. "Mr. Cedric," she enthused happily, moving forward and hugging him gently. "Are you feeling better?"

"I am," he admitted, seeing Greylock leaning against the table and watching him. "How long was I asleep?"

"I'd say about three hours," Greylock told him. "I took Sofia to get something to eat about an hour ago. You really did a number on yourself, Cedric."

"It wasn't his fault," Sofia defended as she pulled her mentor toward a chair, helping him sit down. "Mr. Cedric wouldn't hurt anyone, not on purpose."

Cedric averted his eyes when the brown-haired sorcerer gave him a pointed look. "Uh, r-right… Well, suffice it to say, I apologize for anything I said or did. I don't know what came over me… I didn't realize nightmares had the ability to do something such as creating a dark persona…"

Greylock hummed. "Well, technically, they don't. I believe what happened to you is something I studied a while ago known as 'La Sombra Syndrome.' From what I studied, La Sombra Syndrome, or LSS, creates a secondary personality via a network—dreams, for example—and is usually called a person's 'dark side' or, in your case, 'shadow.'"

Cedric massaged his forehead. "And who has access to something like that, and why would someone want to do that?"

"Any magical being has the ability to do it, and as far as why: take your pick. Do you have any enemies?"

The dark-haired sorcerer started laughing.

Sofia smiled uneasily at Greylock. "You could say that… We've encountered a lot of people, good and bad, recently." She frowned. "But it does worry me now that we have this new information… If someone could reach you through your dreams, Mr. Cedric, who knows what else they might do?"

"I know, Sofia," he said gently, soothing her a bit. "But we can't let this worry us right now. Whoever it is, believe me, I'll be repaying the favor. And if it's that wretch Nettle, I'm going to teach her a lesson she'll never forget."

"But what if it's not Miss Nettle? What if it's…someone else?" She blinked when Cedric took one of her hands.

"Sofia, please, don't worry. Whatever happened earlier seemed to heal me in a way. I didn't have any nightmares when I was asleep. So that's a good sign."

She smiled, though the apprehension still lingered. "I guess so…" She looked up at Greylock for clarification.

He smiled. "Cedric's right, Princess Sofia. We'll face things head on when we need to, and I'll even help you out. But for right now, let's just be glad old Broomstick here is back to normal." He smirked when Cedric growled and Sofia laughed.

"I _swear_ I'm going to start wearing a nametag around you people."

Cedric's forgotten spell book, placed aside, glowed only once before dousing the light. Wormwood caught sight of it but shook his head, believing himself to be seeing things. He flew down to Cedric's shoulder and sat in on their conversation.

Meanwhile, in an unknown location, someone smirked and chuckled a little too knowingly. "La Sombra Syndrome indeed… Meddling sorcerers." A hand reached up, caressing a globe that had Sofia's image embedded. The hand fell to the location of the amulet and made a clutching motion. "So close… Be on your guard, little princess, for one day that amulet will be _mine_."

The end (and to be continued in "Lavender Legend: Secrets of Avalor")

A/N: Because "Lavender Legend" won't be out for quite some time, I'll leave you all to develop your theories about the ending. I love how Cedric _always_ thinks it's Miss Nettle now. Lol. Hint: it's not. ;) I hope you liked "Shadow!" I just started typing and couldn't stop, and you know how much I love using Greylock in my stories. He's just awesome. ;D And I hope they bring him back in future episodes! He's too awesome _not_ to bring back. Anyway, that's it for now! Keep an eye out, because soon enough my next story "All Nighter" will be out! It's _much_ more lighthearted and the twins will be back. ;) Night, all! ~AquaTurquoise


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